Empty Gains, Fraud And Losses

Janet was surprised to see her husband, Eric, return home early on that fateful day. He had left for his workplace about four hours earlier. His countenance said it all. The confusion & regrets of everything going on in his mind as he walked into their apartment. Janet was too shocked to ask what the matter was. Her heart was racing really fast. She was fixated by shock & fear where she stood. She didn’t know what do or even say. Only thing Janet knew then was her love for Eric & desire to support him.

There’s been a struggle in their finances for some time now & this has caused some friction between them. Their house rent was due & the kids’ school fees was just around the corner. Both Janet & Eric have been under pressure to meet up on their financial obligations.

Eric had gotten involved in a deal at work which turned out to be fraud against the company he worked for. He did not mention the matter to his wife while the investigation lasted. He couldn’t bear to tell her about his involvement. He felt a sense of guilt & shame at the same time.

It started when a colleague in his office made suggestions on how they could make extra pay. They took advantage of gaps in the company’s procurement system for selfish gains that eventually boomeranged.

But why do people act without thinking? Why do we complicate our lives?

Fraud is not only synonymous with bad members of staff, sometimes it’s good staff that commit fraud. Often times, it is financial and other pressures that lead us to bad decision, making us compromise our values.

Fraud is a moral failure. A wrongful or criminal deception intended to result in selfish financial/material gains. Some people have made a career out of a lifestyle of deception & defrauding people everywhere. It is sad when we violate people’s trust & confidence in us & put an entire organization at risk for selfish reasons.

The sense of guilt & shame in Eric eroded every fragment of confidence in him before his wife. No matter the proceeds of the crime of fraud, it is most likely to leave a sour taste in your mouth.